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arXiv:2604.18065

Morita equivalence for quantum graphs

Alexandros Chatzinikolaou, Gage Hoefer, Nikolaos Koutsonikos-Kouloumpis, Ioannis Apollon Paraskevas

Published Apr 20, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

We introduce an operator-algebraic framework for Morita equivalence of quantum graphs based on $Δ$-equivalence of operator systems introduced by Eleftherakis, Kakariadis and Todorov. Adopting the perspective of Weaver, we view quantum graphs as quantum relations, that is, operator systems endowed with a bimodule structure over the commutant of a von Neumann algebra. Within this framework, we show that two irreducibly acting quantum graphs are Morita equivalent if and only if they are both full pullbacks of a common quantum graph. This extends a result of Eleftherakis, Kakariadis and Todorov for graph operator systems to the quantum graph setting. In passing we construct a true-twin reduction analogue for an irreducibly acting quantum graph. We further characterise the case where we have simultaneous TRO-equivalence of the quantum graphs and their associated algebras, thus giving a second, stronger notion of Morita equivalence. In the special case of noncommutative graphs, corresponding to the zero-error quantum communication setting, the two notions coincide and we obtain a characterisation in terms of strong co-homomorphisms of noncommutative graphs. Finally, we show that connectivity, the independence number, Shannon capacity, quantum complexity and subcomplexity, Haemers bound, and the Lovász number are invariant under Morita equivalence.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2604.18065

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We introduce an operator-algebraic framework for Morita equivalence of quantum graphs based on ΔΔΔ-equivalence of operator systems introduced by Eleftherakis, Kakariadis and Todorov. Adopting the perspective of Weaver, we view quantum graphs as quantum relations, that is, operator systems endowed with a bimodule structure over the commutant of a von Neumann algebra. Within this framework, we show that two irreducibly acting quantum graphs are Morita equivalent if and only if they are both full pullbacks of a common quantum graph. This extends a result of Eleftherakis, Kakariadis and Todorov for graph operator systems to the quantum graph setting. In passing we construct a true-twin reduction analogue for an irreducibly acting quantum graph. We further characterise the case where we have simultaneous TRO-equivalence of the quantum graphs and their associated algebras, thus giving a second, stronger notion of Morita equivalence. In the special case of noncommutative graphs, corresponding to the zero-error quantum communication setting, the two notions coincide and we obtain a characterisation in terms of strong co-homomorphisms of noncommutative graphs. Finally, we show that connectivity, the independence number, Shannon capacity, quantum complexity and subcomplexity, Haemers bound, and the Lovász number are invariant under Morita equivalence.
Abstract The “noncommutative graphs” which arise in quantum error correction are a special case of the quantum relations introduced in Weaver (Quantum relations. Mem Am Math Soc 215(v–vi):81–140, 2012). We use this perspective to interpret the Knill–Laflamme error-correction conditions (Knill and Laflamme in Theory of quantum error-correcting codes. Phys Rev A 55:900-911, 1997) in terms of graph-theoretic independence, to give intrinsic characterizations of Stahlke’s noncommutative graph homomorphisms (Stahlke in Quantum zero-error source-channel coding and non-commutative graph theory. IEEE Trans Inf Theory 62:554–577, 2016) and Duan, Severini, and Winter’s noncommutative bipartite graphs (Duan et al., op. cit. in Zero-error communication via quantum channels, noncommutative graphs, and a quantum Lovász number. IEEE Trans Inf Theory 59:1164–1174, 2013), and to realize the noncommutative confusability graph associated to a quantum channel (Duan et al., op. cit. in Zero-error communication via quantum channels, noncommutative graphs, and a quantum Lovász number. IEEE Trans Inf Theory 59:1164–1174, 2013) as the pullback of a diagonal relation. Our framework includes as special cases not only purely classical and purely quantum information theory, but also the “mixed” setting which arises in quantum systems obeying superselection rules. Thus we are able to define noncommutative confusability graphs, give error correction conditions, and so on, for such systems. This could have practical value, as superselection constraints on information encoding can be physically realistic.
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In this thesis, we investigate two different notions of quantum graphs. The first approach is through quantum adjacency matrices, while, the second approach is through bimodules over finite-dimensional algebras. We establish the equivalence between these approaches, following the work by M. Daws [Daw24]. Along the way, we explore the role of quantum graphs as operator systems within the context of quantum information theory, serving as an extension of confusability graphs in classical information theory. Furthermore, we explore the concept of quantum isomorphism between quantum graphs. We use the standard definition of quantum isomorphism, defined via the quantum adjacency matrix approach, to introduce an equivalent notion in the bimodules approach (employing the equivalence between the approaches). The goal of this work is to present and contribute to the growing knowledge of quantum graphs and isomorphisms between them.
A quantum set is defined to be simply a set of nonzero finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces. Together with binary relations, essentially the quantum relations of Weaver, quantum sets form a dagger compact category. Functions between quantum sets are certain binary relations that can be characterized in terms of this dagger compact structure, and the resulting category of quantum sets and functions generalizes the category of ordinary sets and functions in the manner of noncommutative mathematics. In particular, this category is dual to a subcategory of von Neumann algebras. The basic properties of quantum sets are presented thoroughly, with the noncommutative dictionary in mind, and with an eye to convenient application. As a motivating example, a notion of quantum graph coloring is derived within this framework, and it is shown to be equivalent to the notion that appears in the quantum information theory literature.
A quantum set is defined to be simply a set of nonzero finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces. Together with binary relations, essentially the quantum relations of Weaver, quantum sets form a dagger compact category. Functions between quantum sets are certain binary relations that can be characterized in terms of this dagger compact structure, and the resulting category of quantum sets and functions generalizes the category of ordinary sets and functions in the manner of noncommutative mathematics. In particular, this category is dual to a subcategory of von Neumann algebras. The basic properties of quantum sets are presented thoroughly, with the noncommutative dictionary in mind, and with an eye to convenient application. As a motivating example, a notion of quantum graph coloring is derived within this framework, and it is shown to be equivalent to the notion that appears in the quantum information theory literature.